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Brilliant! I'm a little confused by this line though: >> If an elephant makes contact with one of the hives or the connecting wires, the beehives all along the

Brilliant! I'm a little confused by this line though: >> If an elephant makes contact with one of the hives or the connecting wires, the beehives all along the fence will swing and release the bees. The first part made it sound like elephants would stay away from this perimeter just because there was an active beehive, so it's unlikely the elephant would get close to the fence anyway. But then if it does, wouldn't the sudden release of all bees drive the elephant into a panic precisely when it's choices are to run into the field or away from the fence? Or am I just misunderstanding something?

barristan 14y ago
They do say an elephant never forgets. It's possible that after stomping through the fence and releasing all the bees the elephant simply continues to charge into the field. But once the elephant is shooed out of the field, the next time it considers entering, it will remember the bees and might reconsider. It's also possible the elephant doesn't stomp through the fence, but simply meanders toward it until it feels the wire. After which some of the bees come out and the elephant simply decides to not break through the wire and to instead return from where it came.
maxmcd 14y ago
I was confused about this as well. The construction manual is much more specific. More information on page 4: http://www.elephantsandbees.com/research_project/Beehive_Fence_files/Beehive%20Fence%20Construction%20Manual%202012%20%28small%29.pdf http://www.elephantsandbees.com/research_project/Beehive_Fen... It seems that fences are set up to prevent elephants from entering entirely. Although they are spaced widely (and a weak breakaway trip wire is strung from hive to hive), so that if an elephant is trapped, or approaches the fence violently, it can still pass through without damaging the hives. I'm guessing that has to do with their 85% effectiveness. Most of the time the fences work, but when they don't they want to minimize hive damage.

barristan 14y ago

They do say an elephant never forgets. It's possible that after stomping through the fence and releasing all the bees the elephant simply continues to charge into the field. But once the elephant is shooed out of the field, the next time it considers entering, it will remember the bees and might reconsider. It's also possible the elephant doesn't stomp through the fence, but simply meanders toward it until it feels the wire. After which some of the bees come out and the elephant simply decides to not break through the wire and to instead return from where it came.

maxmcd 14y ago

I was confused about this as well. The construction manual is much more specific. More information on page 4: http://www.elephantsandbees.com/research_project/Beehive_Fence_files/Beehive%20Fence%20Construction%20Manual%202012%20%28small%29.pdf http://www.elephantsandbees.com/research_project/Beehive_Fen... It seems that fences are set up to prevent elephants from entering entirely. Although they are spaced widely (and a weak breakaway trip wire is strung from hive to hive), so that if an elephant is trapped, or approaches the fence violently, it can still pass through without damaging the hives. I'm guessing that has to do with their 85% effectiveness. Most of the time the fences work, but when they don't they want to minimize hive damage.